Photo Credit: Narrativ
As artificial intelligence continues to weave itself into the fabric of the entertainment industry, a groundbreaking agreement has been reached between the Hollywood actors' union, SAG-AFTRA, and the online talent marketplace, Narrativ. This deal marks a significant milestone, allowing actors to license their voices for digital replication in advertisements, ensuring that performers maintain control and derive income from the technology that is rapidly changing the landscape of creative industries.
SAG-AFTRA x Narrativ Agreement
As AI-generated content becomes more widespread, concerns about the misuse of an actor's likeness and voice have grown significantly. The agreement with Narrativ addresses these concerns by allowing actors to set their own rates for digital voice replication, ensuring that these rates meet or exceed SAG-AFTRA's minimum pay standards for audio commercials. For SAG-AFTRA members, these minimum rates range from $385 for a 4-week usage period to $2,420 for 21 months. While union members can choose to set higher rates, they cannot go below these minimums. In contrast, non-union talent has the flexibility to offer rates lower than these set thresholds.
Key Aspects of the Deal
Control and Consent: Actors can decide when and how their voice replicas are used, putting them in the driver’s seat of their digital identity.
Standardized Ethical Practices: The pact is hailed as a benchmark for the ethical use of AI in advertising, potentially influencing broader industry standards.
Income Opportunities: While some actors may be wary of engaging with AI technologies, those who choose to do so are now assured a safe and lucrative option.
The Broader Implications for Hollywood
This deal is not just about securing income for actors; it’s about setting a precedent in an industry where technology is evolving faster than legislation. The use of AI in replicating voices touches on fundamental issues of identity, ownership, and consent. The potential for deepfakes—highly realistic AI-generated videos that can mimic any person’s voice and appearance—has already raised alarms globally due to their potential for misuse in manipulating public opinion.
The NO FAKES Act
In response to these concerns, legislation known as the NO FAKES Act has been introduced in Congress. If passed, this act would grant every individual the right to control their own voice and likeness, making unauthorized AI replications illegal. This legislation has garnered support from major industry players, including SAG-AFTRA, the Motion Picture Association, and Disney, underscoring the importance of protecting personal identity in the digital age.
The Voice of the Future
The pact with Narrativ is just one part of a larger conversation happening in Hollywood and beyond about the role of AI in creative industries. Last year’s historic strike by actors and writers, the first simultaneous strike in 63 years, was largely driven by concerns over AI and its potential to replace human creativity with algorithms. Similarly, video game voice actors and motion-capture performers went on strike last month, demanding stronger protections against AI in their labor contracts.
The Role of AI in Advertising
Narrativ’s platform connects advertisers with actors to create audio ads using AI, streamlining the process of producing voice content at scale. While this technology offers new opportunities for efficiency and creativity in advertising, it also raises questions about the future of human roles in these spaces. Will AI augment human creativity, or will it eventually replace it?
Conclusion
The deal between SAG-AFTRA and Narrativ sets a new standard for the integration of AI in the entertainment industry, offering actors both protection and opportunity as the digital frontier expands. As the industry continues to navigate the complex relationship between technology and creativity, this agreement may well serve as a model for future developments in AI ethics and regulation. The future of Hollywood may be uncertain, but with careful consideration and proactive measures, it can be one where both human creativity and artificial intelligence coexist in harmony.
Source: Reuters
コメント